No journalist received threatening letters: SP

Rawalpindi - Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr Sardar Muhammad Ghias has claimed that no miscreant had dropped threatening letters in the houses of two Gujar Khan-based journalists; rather the journalists engineered the plan themselves to earn popularity.

“What and which kind of letters? Who says the miscreants had sent threatening letters to journalists? Nothing such happened. I myself probed the matter. Rather, both the journalists themselves had written the letters with their own hands and dropped in their houses to create fuss,” he added.

SP Ghias expressed these views while talking to this scribe in response to a news item appeared in The Nation on February 12, 2015.

He said that police were alert and fully equipped to tackle the anti-social elements in Saddar Circle. The SP said that police offered security to the both journalists but they refused to avail the opportunity.

On the other hand, Raja Arshad, a senior journalist of Gujar Khan who is facing life threats by unknown miscreants, talking to The Nation on Friday vehemently denounced the version of the SP and said that the letter was dropped by miscreants. He denied that he had staged the drama. He said that no police officer offered him security. He said that police had shelved the case despite filing the case against unknown miscreants. He informed that Inspector General of Police (IG) Punjab Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera had written a letter to city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi directing him to provide security to the victim journalists and take the matter seriously. He added that no action was taken by the CPO. He said that even a brigadier from ISPR had personally contacted him and assured him of security. Raja Arshad demanded of Chief Minister Punjab and IGP to look into the matter and take strict action against Rawalpindi police for showing negligence in the matter of serious nature.